Kettle



Feb. 12, 1952 M. M. GUGGENHEIM Erm. 2,585,767

KETTLE Filed June 3o, 195o 2 SI-IEETS-SI-IEET 2 Patented Feb. 12, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE KETTLE y Max 'M. Guggenheim and Robert Lincoln `Greenberg, New York, N. Y., assignors'to National Equipment Corporation, NewYork, N. Y., a cor-V poration of New York Y VApplication June 30, 1950, Serial No. 171,266

7 Claims. A(Cl'. 2591108) larly to those of the character employed in the confectionery-manufacturing art and in which chocolate and other preparations are mixed or tempered.

An object of the present invention is to provide a kettle of this character having improved mixing or agitating means; with improved and simplified scraping devices carried by `lsaid agitating means and operative to smoothly clean the Wall and bottom surfaces of the kettle; with a novel rotative mounting for the agitator and means by which the material being mixed or agitated will serve as a lubricant for said rotative mounting, and of various other features co-operating in the production of a kettle of relatively flight weight, simple and decidedly usefulconstruction.

Another object of the invention is toprovide improved means for heatingv or cooling `the con-l proved construction, said lagitator being arranged' to obviate the use yof V,the central post or spindle commonly employed in kettles of this character. These and other objects are ,attained by fthe invention, a more particular c lescription of which willv be hereinafter set Aforth and pointed out yin the vclaims appendedhereto.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment Y of the rinvention fis disclosed, Fig. 1 is avertical sectional view 'through the kettle; Fig. 2 is l"a top plan view, with Vparts in section, of oneofthe scraper bladesand the tubular arm of the agitator on which the blade is mounted; Fig. 3 is a vvsectional view through one vof the'agitator blades; Fig. 4 is'atfopplan View of the kettle; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view through the central support for the agitator; jFig; 6 is a sectional view vtaken on the line 6- B of Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 'I-I of Fig. '5, looking in the direction ofthe arrows; and Fig. 8 is a sectional view through the structure shown in Fig. 5, but taken at right anglesthereto. l

Referring to the drawings, Iindicates generally the body of the kettle, the samebeing` of Asteel' or of non-corrosive metal and of double-Walled construction fand thus being provided with the inner wall and inner-bottom 2 and ^outer wall and 2 outer bottom 3, a Space the walls for the reception of cooling or heating fluid. -The'space 4 is closed at the top by the annular plate 'or flange 5, and directly below the flange is located a single coil or loop 6 of tubing through which a cool fluid, such as water, is forced. The tubing -6 -is provided in its under side with perforations through which the Water will flow -to fall down along the wall 2 andlill the space 4 Vbetween the-walls of the kettle and thus heat or cool the'contents ofthe kettle. The tubing "6 has a tangentially-extending'end 'I Areadily connected to a source of `Water. The single turn kof tubing is readily cleaned out by the insertion cfa slender brushl through it.

An overow outlet-is provided at 9 and the awa-v ter in the spaced can be-heated or maintained atA a vdesired temperature by -means of steamlpipes connected by the integral cross-piece I5. -Each y of said arms is closed or capped at the top by a closure cap 62. At the center of the cross-piece I5 is provided a khub Vlli which is keyed upon the upper endvportion of a vertical shaft Il. Said shaft is threaded at the top as at I8, to receive .a nut I9, `to hold the hub and hence the agitator against risingmovement.

YBelowthehub I6 a collar -20 is provided on the shaft -I-l ,and `keyed on theshaft I-I belowsaid collar y2 l'I is a, rotor 2| which acts to force'the' chocolate or other Vvmaterial inthe -tank toward and around the shaft Il to cause said material to serve as a Ilubricant in a manner to be described.

j'lhe rotor 2 I, shown in detail in Figs. I5 and 6, is provided with the-two wings 212 forming shoulders, and'in `its under sides and leading inwardly from each wing 22 is -a curved groove 23. The rotor 2Ifis rotative upon-the disk-like `head-or upper end 24 of a bearing 25 lsupported and :xedly mounted in the sleeve -26 fat the center of the bottom of kthe kettle. Close .toV the .opening in said bearing through which the shaft .Il ex:

tends, is a pair of .vertical grooves'ZI, 2.8.seen in Figs. 7 and 8. rIhe lower endsof these grooves 21 and 2B .are incommunication with anannular groove 29 provided in thebearing .25. Between the grooves 21 .and 28 isa second pair of'vertical 4 being vprovided between in the tank to be forced into the grooves 23 in the lower face of the rotor and forced inwardly through said grooves 23 toward the shaft I1. The grooves 23, being in communication with the vertical grooves 21 and 28, will cause the chocolate or other material to be forced down through the vertical grooves 21 and 28 to reach the annular groove 29 and from there to be moved therefrom up through the vertical vgrooves 3U and 3| and out through the passages 32 and 33 to re-enter the kettle. This circulation of the chocolate or other material around the shaft I1 and through the bearing 25 therefor is such as to provide lubrication for the shaft by thematerial being agitated. A packing 34 is provided in the lower end of the bearing sleeve 25 around the shaft I1.

The lower end of the shaft I1 is connected to a drive shaft 35 by means of joined coupling members 36, i31. Drive shaft 36 is rotated at the required speed from a reducing gearing of` known character contained in the housing 38 and driven from the electric motor 4l) located below the kettle. The kettle is supported by the legs 4|. Y n

The vertical arms I3 and I5 of the agitator areconnected by cross members 40 and 4I, each of which is Aprovided with an inclined or angular mixing blade; vThe blade on the cross member 40 is indicated at 42, While that shown on the cross member 4I is indicated at 43. These blades are inclined or tiltedv oppositely and are located on opposite sides of the vertical center line of the agitator, so that a stirring or mixing is attained when the agitator is rotated. Each of the cross bars 40 and 4I is provided at the center with an Vopen ring 43a permitting easy access to the nut I9 for removal or tightening of the same, and also allowing for the placement of a thermometer or other temperature-determining device in the center of the mixture without interference from the rotating agitator.

In the embodiment shown, the longer vertical arm I4 and the lower cross member I5 of the agitator carries a plurality of scraper blades r44, the shape and construction of which will beobserved'in Fig. 2. These blades might also beV provided on the shorter arm I3, if desired. Each blade 44 is provided at its inner end with a hook portion 45Y formed on its inner or concave side with a groove 46 that engages over an annular rib 41 formed on the vertical arm I4, or in the case of the lower or bottom Scrapers, on the cross arm I5. The hooked portions of the several Scrapers fit around the arm I4 and cross memberA I5 and are held against sliding movement along these parts by the engagement of the grooves 46 with the ribs 41. As the agitator is rotated, in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 4, the free ends of the scraper blades are held by pressure of the material being agitated against the wall and bottom of the kettle, and force the material toward the center of the kettle, thus keeping the wall and bottom of the kettle free from accumulated materials. Inward rotative movement of the scraper blades is prevented by a stop or abutment Y Vthe kettle.

49 provided on each of the ribs 41, and shown in Fig. 2.

The outlet from the kettle and from which the contents of the kettle may be drained, consists of the tubular housing 50 located in the side wall of the kettle at the junction of said wall with the bottom. The housing 50 is formed with a downwardly-directed outlet spout 5I normally closed at the top by the slidable plug valve 52, mounted and slidable in the member 50. In Fig. 1 the plug valve 52 is shown in its inner or closed position, at which time it will be noted that its inner end is substantially flush with the inside surface of VThe rear or outer end of the plug valve 52 is slotted, and pivoted in said slot on the pin 54 is a slotted lever 55, having its lower end pivoted at 56 in a slotted lower portion of the valve housing 50. This arrangement is such that the valve 52 may be slidably moved back and forth to either open or closed position, by movement of the operating lever in the required direction. A locking means for the operating lever consists of a pair of latches 51 connected together Vat the top by the pin 59, and pivoted on the operating lever 55 by the pin 58. Provided in the top of the housing 56 is a notch 68, so arranged that when the valve is in its closed position, as shown in Fig. l, the latches will pivot by gravity to thus engage in the notch and hold' the valve against outward or opening movement likely to be caused by pressure of the contents of the kettle against the inner end of the valve. To open the valve, the operating lever and the latches are gripped together in a manner to raise the lower ends of the latches out of the notch 60, thus permitting pivotal movement of the lever 55 and outward sliding movement of the valve 52 to open position. When the valve is slid inward to closed position and pressure on the lever 55 and on the latches 51 pivoted thereon, is then released, the latches will drop into the notch 60 and hold the valve closed until again manually operated to open it. From the foregoing, the operation of the improved kettle will be readily understood. In the tempering of chocolatevor the mixing of agitation of other materials, the temperature of the materials can be readily controlled by the liquid contained between the walls of the kettle. The agitator can be readily replaced and removed by means of the described construction and when rotated, its easily-removed blades will effectively scrape the walls and bottom and direct the displaced material inwardly or toward the center of the kettle. The lubrication of the shaft and bearing therefor by the material being agitated is effective and useful and the outlet valve employed prevents accumulation of the material in and around the outlet. The 'kettle and'its parts are so arranged that dismantling, assembly and replacement of parts isa simple and readilyperformed task and the structure is onewhich can be easily-cleaned and kept in a sanitary condition at all times.

Having ldescribed one embodimentof the. inventionfit is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of theannexed claims. Y What we claim is: Y i 1. In a kettle -of the character described, "a kettle body having a central bearing, a shaft rotative in said bearing, means located below the kettle body for rotating said shaft, passages provided in the bearing,` a rotorcarried by the shaft and having a grooved under face, means on said rotor for directing fluid material from within the kettle body into the grooves in the rotor and through the passages in the bearing to thereby lubricate the shaft and bearing by such material, the passages in the bearing carrying said material back into the kettle, and an agitator carried on said shaft and rotative within the kettle.

2. In a kettle of the character described, a kettle body having a central bearing, a shaft rotative in said bearing, an agitator secured on said shaft above the bearing, a rotor secured on the shaft below the agitator and rotative with the shaft, the rotor being grooved, the bearing provided with passages, some of said passages being in communication with the grooves in the rotor, the rotor having other passages in communication with the interior of the kettle body, whereby fluid material contained within the kettle body will be forced by the rotor through its grooves and into the passages and through the same back into the kettle body and the shaft and bearing therefore will be lubricated by said material.

3. In a kettle of the character described, a jacketed kettle body, a central bearing in the body, a U-shaped agitator, a shaft mounted in the bearing and attached vto the agitator, means for lubricating the shaft and bearing by contents of the kettle, said means including a circulating system for circulating such material 'through the bearing and returning the material into the kettle, agitating blades carried by the agitator, Scrapers carried by the agitator, hooks on the scrapers fitted about parts of the agitator, interengaging ribs and grooves on the agitator and hooks, and an outlet valve for the tank.

4. In a kettle of the character described, a kettle body, a shaft rotatively mounted in a bearing located in the center of the bottom of the kettle body, an agitator having a substantially U-shaped frame provided with vertical arms connected by a plurality of cross members, each of said cross members having an inclined mixing blade and each cross member having a central open loop, one of the vertical arms being of greater height than the other, said arm carrying a plurality of scraper blades.

5. In a kettle of the character described, a kettle body, a vertical shaft rotatively mounted in a bearing located in the center of the kettle body, an agitator including a substantially U- shaped frame having a pair of vertical arms connected by a plurality of cross members, each of the cross members carrying an inclined mixing blade and each cross member having a central open loop, the axis of each loop being in vertical alignment with the axis of the shaft, the agitator being carried by the shaft, one of the vertical arms of the agitator being of greater height than the other and having its upper end located near the top of the kettle body, said arm carrying a plurality of scraper blades, some of said blades being arranged upon the longer arm above the uppermost cross member of the agitator.

6. In a kettle as provided for in claim 5, wherein the longer arm is provided with a plurality of spaced annular ribs, each of the scraper blades being provided at one end with a hook, the hook having a groove in its inner face tting over one of the ribs and permitting limited rotative movement of the scraper blade on the arm and holding said blade against vertical movement, and a stop on each rib for limiting the rotative movement of the scraper blade on said rib.

7. In a kettle of the character described, a kettle body, a vertical shaft rotatively mounted in a bearing located in the center of the bottom of the kettle body, an agitator mounted on the shaft and including a substantially U-shaped frame provided with vertical arms connected by a plurality of cross members, each of the cross members having an inclined mixing blade and each cross member having a central loop, the loops having their axes in vertical alignment and in alignment with the axis of the shaft, at least one of the vertical arms carrying a plurality of scraper blades held against the inner wall surface of the kettle body by rotative movement of the agitator.

MAX MARC. GUGGENHEIM.

ROBERT LINCOLN GREENBERG,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 313,760 Packer Mar. 10, 1885 787,266 Bivins Apr. 11, 1905 969,016 Willmann Aug. 30, 1910 1,154,772 Hollstein Sept. 23, 1915 1,579,390 Peaden Apr. 6, 1926 1,736,966 Delaval-Crow Nov. 26, 1929 1,808,029 Frame June 2, 1931 1,842,081 Durbin Jan. 19, 1932 1,995,465 Bigelow et al. Mar. 26, 1935 2,113,025 Jeppsson Apr. 5, 1938 2,196,012 Gilbert Apr. 2, 19.40

2,249,036 Peters July 15, 1941 2,347,195 I-Iuff Apr. 25, 1944 2,470,691 Erickson et al. May 17, 1949 2,481,731 Dubin Sept. 13, 1949 

